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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28415097">A Boot on the Other Foot Looks Just as Cute</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramcannedcheese/pseuds/ramcannedcheese'>ramcannedcheese</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Humor, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:00:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28415097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramcannedcheese/pseuds/ramcannedcheese</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Compliments are a tricky thing. Sometimes it's not about the words you say but the way you say them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haku/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I checked the Naruto/Haku tag and didn't find much, if any, fluff so I decided to provide! Very happy with how it turned out but I also did minimal editing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’m heading out, don’t wait up!” Haku tried his best to get to the door before Zabuza did, but the older man seemed to materialize in front of him despite the fact that Haku was sure he had been across the apartment a second ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold on a second. Where are you going?” To everyone else Zabuza looked intimidating. With his arms crossed his muscles bulged, the mask he wore constantly hid most of his emotions rather effectively, and the way he towered over people had caused those who didn’t know him to shake with fear. Haku knew better and rolled his eyes at the display. He had lived with the man since he was nine and he was much more afraid of Zabuza’s cooking than the man’s looming presence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you earlier, I have another date with Naruto.” Haku tried to sneak around Zabuza but the man moved to block his path. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zabuza was unfazed by the glare Haku sent him and pretended to look thoughtful. “Naruto huh? You still dating that boy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This earned him another eye roll. “Yes. And he’s not a boy.” Haku tried to dodge around Zabuza from a different angle but again the older man moved to stand in his way. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s young,” Zabuza pointed out, widening his stance to better obstruct the doorway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I'm only two years older than him,” Haku countered, still searching for a possible escape.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then he’s…” Trying to use Zabuza’s pause while thinking as a distraction Haku crept for the doorknob, only to find his wrist in an ironclad grasp. Zabuza stared down at him, frown clear even through the mask. “He’s something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Energetic?” Knowing there was no escape now, Haku held up one hand in surrender. His other hand was not released from Zabuza's firm hold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to say hyperactive. Are you sure about him, Haku? Naruto seems very different than you.” It was as close to a confession of worry as Zabuza could ever get. He and Haku both struggled with expressing themselves but had put in active work to communicate better over the last few years. The fact that he hadn’t just grunted out a response showed major progress on Zabuza’s part. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Haku nodded, trying his best to convey sincerity with his next words. “I think that’s part of his charm. I’m happy with him Zabuza.” After a few tense moments his arm was released and the older man stepped away from the door. Zabuza’s version of approval. It would have meant more to Haku if they didn’t go through something similar every time Haku went out on a date. He knew Zabuza was concerned but it was also a touch ridiculous. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, but don’t expect me to roll out the red carpet for him,” the man huffed as he stomped through the apartment, leaving Haku alone in the doorway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not wanting to be one-upped Haku couldn’t help but to shout back. “Since you don’t even do that for me I wouldn’t even begin to presume!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get out of here brat!” came the response, but Haku didn’t miss the quiet words that followed it. “Enjoy your date.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Haku made quick work of jogging down the stairs and out onto the city streets. Knowing he still had a bit of time before Naruto picked him up, Haku walked down the road to grab a coffee. It was getting closer to dusk, with the sun just beginning to set in the distance, but Naruto had insisted that they meet later in the day. When questioned he had only said that it was a surprise and he couldn’t let Haku know why or the surprise would be spoiled. The fact that Haku agreed to these terms in the first place spoke volumes on how influential Naruto had been in his life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While in line for his coffee Haku thought back to just how much he had changed in the last few months. Before he and Naruto started dating he never would have agreed to a surprise date, especially one that would run the risk of keeping him up late. At the time he had called it control. He had been in control of himself so he never stayed up later than 11 PM, he never agreed to something he didn’t understand every detail of, he was always punctual and upright and proper. Looking back, Haku now knew that he hadn’t been in control so much as suffocating himself. It was torture to constantly be watching how he acted, constantly ready to reprimand himself if he stepped a toe out of line. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was momentarily distracted by ordering and picking up his coffee but able to return to his thoughts as he walked out of the coffee shop and sipped at his latte. Haku began to wander to the restaurant that he and Naruto always met at. It was a little ramen place that Naruto loved and meeting there meant about fifty percent of their dates ended with them either sitting down at the restaurant or getting food to go. A year ago Haku would have been annoyed by Naruto’s ramen obsession. Now he found it charming and humorous. Naruto seemed to have that effect on him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then again, the biggest change wasn’t Haku’s ability to loosen up. No, it was his new found love of being complimented. A year ago his rigidity would have never allowed him to accept a compliment he didn’t think he deserved, meaning he never accepted them at all. Naruto, however, changed that. The other man was constantly complimenting him. “You look amazing today!” “That top is cute on you!” “Your hair is so pretty!” Simple little words, never well thought out but always extremely genuine. Haku had tried to resist them as long as possible, denying them and telling Naruto that he only said them because they were dating. This had come to a head when Naruto had sat him down at a secluded corner of his favorite restaurant and asked him to stop, explaining that it was very upsetting that Haku constantly fought against the comments. In Naruto’s own words, it worried him because it made him think that Haku didn’t understand just how amazing he was. And Haku hadn’t, not at the time. It had taken quite a bit of work to be able to accept that he wasn’t being humble not accepting a compliment, he was denying that he had redeeming traits to begin with. It was a deeply rooted problem but one that he was proud to say he was making progress on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Haku took out his phone to check the time, then paused for a moment to use his camera to examine his appearance. His hair was straighten and silky, styled with half of it pulled back into a loose bun with the other half framing his face. At Naruto’s insistence he dressed in something warmer, despite the mild weather. He had gone with a simple light blue t-shirt and a dark red hoodie that Naruto had lent him but never asked to be returned. He wore black skinny jeans and light blue high-top converse to round out the outfit. It was simple but he knew Naruto would like it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A text notification buzzed through as Naruto explained that he was a few minutes away, followed by a slew of heart emojis. Haku replied with an affirmative, then a single red heart emoji of his own. Before Naruto, Haku had always thought emojis were silly and childish but he had never been on the receiving end of a text box full of nothing but heart emojis and declarations of love in the form of the little pictures. The first time Haku had replied with an emoji of his own Naruto’s response had been to start spamming him with even more emojis and sappy words. Haku couldn’t find it in himself to be mad, despite the fact that his phone hadn’t stopped buzzing at him for an hour. He had even taken screenshots to look back at the messages when he had a bad day.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could pull up those screenshots to reminisce a hideous orange car pulled up beside the restaurant. The window of the Volkswagen Beetle rolled down, revealing Naruto’s grinning face leaning over the passenger seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Haku, hope you weren’t waiting long!” Naruto waved him over and Haku hopped in the rather run down car before it tore away. No ramen today then. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was just finishing up my drink.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you like it… a latte?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Haku tried to hide the giggle behind his hand but Naruto’s grin told him that he wasn't successful. “Dork. I’ll have you know that you are correct, it was a latte and yes, I liked it a lot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m hoping you like tonight as much as you liked your coffee then!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I get to know where we’re going yet or is that still a surprise?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you really wanna know I’ll tell you but if it’s alright I’d like to keep it a surprise. It is a bit far away though. You alright with that?” Haku thought of the drive, the quiet music that would play in the background while Naruto chatted about anything that crossed his mind. The calm that was already washing over him as he relaxed into the worn out seat had him nodding, a smile already tugging at his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t mind at all.” As predicted, Naruto spent most of their drive talking aimlessly. Haku responded at the appropriate times, his gaze alternating between the sunset and Naruto’s face. Unlike Haku, who usually kept his emotions to himself, Naruto wore his heart on his sleeve. Each emotion played out across his face, sometimes spreading into his gestures as well. He would frown, smile, laugh, pout, and smirk all in the span of a few minutes, making whatever story he was telling come alive. Haku couldn’t help but get lost in Naruto’s pure emotions and by the time he turned back to look out the window the sun had almost set entirely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are we getting close?” Haku noted just far outside of the city they had gone, the tall buildings becoming tiny farm houses, the streetlights disappearing entirely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’re almost there. Do you remember my friend Kiba?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. He’s studying veterinary medicine, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Naruto nodded. “His family lives out here and they gave me the ok to hang out on their property whenever I want. Kiba showed me this spot that’s really cool and I wanted to show it to you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hanging out on what was likely a farm wasn’t Haku’s first idea of a romantic date but he wasn’t about to say no to Naruto. The other man was so sincere. “That sounds lovely.” The smile he got in return practically lit up the dark car.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They drove on for about thirty more minutes before Naruto slowed down to turn onto a long dirt driveway. He stopped at a fork in the road, checked his phone, then nodded to himself and turned right. It was only a minute later before Naruto pulled over and parked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, we’re here! Let me grab some blankets and stuff from the back real quick.” Haku nodded then climbed out of the car to look around. Despite the dark there was a full moon and plenty of stars illuminating the area. Naruto had parked the car about fifty feet away from a glittering lake, the trees around them thinning out enough to provide a clear view of the sky. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, think I got everything. Let’s go!” Naruto walked up beside him and in his arms were a pile of blankets and a shopping bag that appeared to be full of snacks. He led the way down to the lake, where he laid a blanket down a few feet from a creaky wooden dock. Once the blanket was spread out to his liking Naruto began to unpack his bag, handing Haku a bottle of green tea, a bag of chips, and a packet of his favorite fruit candy. Haku made himself comfortable on the blanket next to Naruto, who immediately began to tell the story about the first time he had visited the lake with Kiba and how they had both ended up falling into it not five minutes after arriving. Having met Kiba and seeing how he and Naruto teased each other, this didn’t surprise Haku at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After finishing their snacks and drinks they laid down on the blanket and huddled close, Naruto’s arm acting as a pillow for Haku’s head. Together they gazed up at the stars and Naruto began to make up wildly inaccurate tales for imaginary constellations that had Haku laughing so hard his stomach hurt. It was after one such laugh that Naruto went quiet. Haku turned to check on the other man and found him staring. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Naruto? Everything alright?” If there was one thing Haku had learned about Naruto after all the time they spent together, it was that the other man was never quiet or still. He was constantly moving, making some kind of noise, so full of energy and life that he just couldn’t stop. To see him staring in silence with wide eyes was almost unnerving. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Haku waited for a response, not looking away from Naruto. The longer he waited, the more the tension that grew in his chest. This moment was important, something significant was about to happen. Naruto opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, finally ready to explain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look really boot tonight.” It took both men a few moments to register what had been said, then in a sudden rush Naruto was sitting up, his hands covering his face. In the process he dislodged Haku, sending him rolling over to the far side of the blanket. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god, I’m such an idiot. I wanted to say you looked cute but then I changed my mind to say you looked beautiful and I ended up saying that instead and oh my god, I’m so sorry. You don’t look like a boot, I promise.” Naruto continued to apologize and rant into his hands but Haku paid more attention to the man’s appearance instead. The moonlight was bright enough to be able to tell that Naruto was blushing and the way the light struck his hair caused it to shimmer a silvery hue. The shadows that fell down around him were stark but only helped to amplify his best features; how long his legs were, how broad his chest was, how wide his hands were. Haku wished he could see Naruto’s eyes, he had no doubt that they would practically glow even in the dim light.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Haku finally came back to his senses he realized that Naruto hadn’t stopped talking. Still, he understood enough from the other man’s explanation at the start. Like always, Naruto was trying to be genuinely kind and compliment Haku, to the point that he had multiple compliments he wanted to give at one time. It was so Naruto that he couldn’t help but give a little laugh, only to stop when Naruto looked up, devastated. Quickly Haku sat up then leaned over, cupping Naruto’s face in his hands. The words escaped him before he had much chance to think about them. “Hey Naruto. You look very boot tonight too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Never had Naruto’s face been so red. It went from the top of his hairline to the collar of his shirt, even spreading to the tips of his ears. He began stuttering, shyly looking down even while Haku still had a hand on either side of his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a full minute Naruto finally got a hold of himself to be able to speak a full sentence. “You really think I’m beautiful? And cute?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And so much more. I know I’m not always the best with words but you have done so much for me. You’ve shown me that the world doesn’t have to be cold. You brought warmth into my life, the first person to do so since Zabuza adopted me. I’ve never met anyone so bright, there are days when you beat out the sun. Naruto… I love you.” Haku had never poured his heart out like that. Certainly he hadn’t let himself be that open with someone before but now he could see why Naruto was constantly telling people how much he cared. The other man’s face was a mess of tears but his smile was so wide it must have hurt. He was a blubbering mess, unable to speak clearly but Haku caught a few words, enough to know Naruto was trying to reciprocate. He leaned in and gently kissed Naruto’s temple while the other man tried to regain control of his breathing. The kiss didn’t seem to help, however, because it caused Naruto’s breath to hitch and stutter along as he continued to try and speak. Haku moved back and began to gently stroke Naruto’s cheek with his thumb, wiping away the happy tears before they could get far. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The crying began to slow but the smile didn’t go away. As his breathing returned to a somewhat normal state, Naruto finally met Haku’s eyes. His earlier guess had been right, Naruto’s eyes were an amazing deep blue that seemed to glow, staring into Haku’s soul with so many emotions that he could never describe them all if he had to. “You really mean that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.” That simple confirmation had Naruto crying again, but the tears were slower this time. It was difficult to say who leaned in first but when Naruto spoke again his words were uttered onto Haku’s lips, the vibrations traveling to root themselves deep in his heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Haku.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The call came in at two in the morning, waking Haku up from a very sound sleep. He answered the phone, despite not knowing the number, then promptly began cursing and spitting as he started to get dressed. The call continued, Haku replying with more swearing than anything else, even as he put his shoes on and grabbed his keys. A curt goodbye and a promise to move quickly was the last thing Haku said before he hung up. </p><p>He stormed through the apartment, ready to leave only to run into Zabuza in the kitchen. Due to his position as a machine operator at a local factory, Zabuza sometimes worked odd hours. Haku had long since given up on trying to keep track of the other man’s schedule, instead depending on text if they needed to communicate. </p><p>Looking up from a chef's knife he was sharpening, Zabuza gave Haku a once over. His frazzled state must have been obvious because the older man’s eyes narrowed and his grip on the knife shifted, ready to protect his little brother from an unknown enemy. "Something happen?"</p><p>"Yes,” Haku hissed. While he had promised to leave as soon as possible, he couldn’t resist pausing to speak to Zabuza. It was almost petty to drag this out but after being woken up before the sun rose Haku decided it was more than deserved. </p><p>"Wanna talk about it?" </p><p>"No.” Haku thought for a moment, then let out a loud huff. “I want to scream."</p><p>"Hmmm… wanna scream about it?" It was an invitation that Haku happily accepted. </p><p>"Naruto is in jail! He just called me to ask him to bail him out!" He could feel his face turning bright red, both with fury and embarrassment. </p><p>Zabuza rolled his eyes but lowered the knife. "Always knew that kid was trouble. What'd he get caught for? Possession? Lack of brain cells?" </p><p>"He didn't say. He just asked me to pick him up so I guess I’m going." </p><p>"Why? Let that little jail rat rot."</p><p>It was Haku’s turn to roll his eyes. While this was a stressful situation he didn’t think this would become habit. Especially not after the lecture Haku planned to give his boyfriend. "He's not a jail rat, he's an idiot. And, despite how pissed I am right now, he's my idiot."</p><p>"You can do better." This wasn’t the first time Zabuza had said this and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Haku, however, had some ammunition against the man. </p><p>"You're one to talk. Ever gonna speak to Mei or will you just keep watching from afar and stalking her on facebook?"</p><p>Zabuza grumbled, lowering his head while muttering something about classy women but Haku didn’t bother waiting around to find out how the older man might respond. They had already beat that dead horse. Haku knew that Zabuza wasn’t going to do anything about his crush. It didn’t matter how many times he pointed out that Mei’s eyes always lingered on Zabuza whenever he went into her shop, the older man always refused to believe that his feelings might be reciprocated. </p><p>The inside of the car was freezing cold and while Haku waited for it to warm up he pondered exactly what Naruto could have done to get arrested. It wasn’t likely possession as Zabuza had suggested, although Haku didn’t rule out alcohol being involved. Naruto had mentioned that Kiba was with him too, meaning they were probably caught pulling some overly stupid prank. If that was the case, Haku was the best person to call because Kiba’s mother was not kind to rule breakers and Naruto’s roommate and best friend Sasuke would simply laugh at the other man’s troubles and hang up. Haku to this day didn’t understand their friendship but still tried to get along with Sasuke, for Naruto’s sake. </p><p>Finally, when the car was much warmer and the windows were no longer covered in frost, Haku started to make his way to the police station. The fact that he was taking the long route didn’t escape his notice but Haku couldn’t help but think that sitting in a cell for a bit longer might help Naruto remember not to do something stupid next time. This sent his thoughts spiralling, however, and by the time he got to the station Haku was fuming once again. </p><p>He made his way inside where a singular officer was sitting behind a large wooden desk.</p><p>“Hello. I’m here to deal with the blonde idiot and his flea ridden friend. They got arrested tonight.” His descriptions earned him a small smile while the man typed into his computer.</p><p>“Hm, don’t know if we’re holding anyone under those names. Only two people we have in custody right now are Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka. That the idiot and flea ridden friend you're looking for?”</p><p>“The very same.”</p><p>The officer nodded and led Haku back to a row of cells. All of them were empty except for the one housing Naruto and Kiba. The man reached for a set of keys but Haku stopped him. </p><p>“I’d like to speak to them before I decide to bail them out. If you don’t mind, that is.” Haku’s tone was icy and left no room for arguments. The cop winced, shooting the two men a sympathetic glance before turning around to leave. Once the other man was gone Haku turned back to the jail birds, face full of seething rage. </p><p>“What. Happened.” It was not a question. It was a demand for answers. </p><p>They both rushed forward, speaking over each other and while Haku would usually wait for them to calm down he was in no mood for their groveling. He held up his hand and immediately Naruto and Kiba fell silent. Once the room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop Haku looked to Naruto, who bowed his head in shame before Haku could meet his eyes.</p><p>“Naruto. What happened?”</p><p>The other man shifted from foot to foot, eyes darting from the wall, to the floor, to his chipped nails, then back to the floor. “Well, you see. There was this cow.”</p><p>Not what Haku had been expecting. He tried to ask Naruto to clarify but all he could say was, “A… cow?” </p><p>“Yeah! There was this cow and Kiba and I thought it was a good idea to… you know. Steal it.” The momentarily confusion was gone and the rage was back. </p><p>“You called me to bail you out at 2 AM because you decided to steal a cow!”</p><p>“It seemed like a good idea at the time!”  Both Kiba and Naruto winced at the blonde’s weak defense. </p><p>“I can’t believe you! I thought you were more responsible than this!” Haku threw his hands in the air and was turning to walk away when Kiba called out to him. </p><p>“Hey, don’t get mad at Naruto! He was doing the right thing!”</p><p>Haku spun around, hands curled into fists at his side. While he didn’t usually feel the urge to be violent tonight was proving to be quite a test of his patience. “In what world is stealing a cow ever the right thing to do?”</p><p>Never one to back down, Kiba took a few steps closer and screamed a reply. “In the world where the cow is being abused, which is this world!” </p><p>“What?” It felt like Haku was on an emotional rollercoaster. First angry, then confused, then furious, then confused again. Luckily for him, Naruto was finally ready to step up and give a full explanation. </p><p>“Yeah, we wouldn’t just steal a cow because it’s fun or something. We were driving by this farm to get to Kiba’s place and he pointed out this cow we passed and he saw how skinny it was and now it didn’t have any fresh grass and all these other things. So later we decided that we would grab the cow and move it to Kiba’s farm where his sister could help fix it up! We didn’t think the owners were home, but they were.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you just file an animal abuse case and have the police handle it?” Naruto and Kiba stared at Haku like he had grown a second head.</p><p>Naruto recovered first. “You can do that?”</p><p>“Of course you idiots!” </p><p>“Why didn’t you ever tell us that sooner?” Kiba asked. </p><p>“Because I didn’t think I would ever need to stop you from stealing an abused cow!”</p><p>They both winced, but Naruto was the only one brave enough to reply. “Ok, that’s a fair point.”</p><p>“I know it is!”</p><p>For a few minutes they stood in silence, Haku still trying to calm himself after dealing  with the total idiocy he had been dragged into. Once he got his breathing back under control he turned to look at Naruto. The other man took a few steps towards to the cell bars, trying his best to get close to Haku despite the barrier separating them. “Um… I’m sorry about all this Haku. I promise I would never do something like this just to make your life difficult, I only wanted to help that cow.”</p><p>Haku sighed and any energy he had left to fight left with it. His boyfriend was very kind but easily influenced by his friends. It was a good thing all his friends were good people, even if they got themselves into interesting situations. “I know. It’s just who you are, always trying to jump in and help however you can. Next time though, call me <em> before </em> you decide to try and do something illegal. Now, I’m going to go find that officer with the keys and we’ll see about filing that animal abuse report once you're out.”</p><p>“Wait, you still want to help us?” With mention of the animal abuse report Kiba piped up, tilting his head like a curious dog. </p><p>“Of course I do. It means a lot to both of you and if you get that report filed it might stop you from trying again.” There were a few meek nods of agreement as Haku left. He knew the other men too well to know they wouldn’t be satisfied until they saw justice for the abused cow. </p><p>It took over an hour to finish up at the police department and by the time they were able to leave the sun was already rising. Kiba began to moan about having classes later but when Haku reminded him that he would have been able to sleep if he didn’t try to break the law Kiba went quiet. Haku dropped the animal lover off at his dorm room first, then started the short drive to Naruto’s apartment. </p><p>When they arrived Haku parked the car then turned to talk to Naruto. The other man had stayed silent for the most part, likely knowing that Haku would want to speak to him once Kiba was gone.</p><p>Gently Haku placed a hand on Naruto’s, giving it a squeeze before turning to face him. “Are you alright?”</p><p>“What?” It was clear Naruto had expected another earful but by this point Haku was too tired. He just wanted to make sure that Naruto wasn’t too worked up after everything that had happened. </p><p>“Are you ok? It must have been stressful to be arrested.”</p><p>The other boy melted into the seat, pulling Haku’s hand to his chest to hug it. “Aw, you were worried about me!”</p><p>“Of course I was worried, you called me from the police station at two in the morning because you tried to steal an abused cow!” </p><p>“Haku, you don’t understand!” Haku furrowed his brows in confusion but the second Naruto’s face broke out into a telling smile he knew what was coming. “The steaks were too high!”</p><p>“Naruto!”</p><p>“I know you have beef with Kiba now but please don’t have a cow over it!” Despite how stressed he had been for most of the night, Haku could feel it drifting away as giggles built up in his chest. </p><p>“You’re not funny!”</p><p>“I don’t know, I think I’m pretty a-moo-sing!” Haku finally broke down and started laughing. The absurdity of the situation was just too much to bear. Once he was finally done laughing he leaned back in his seat, looking out the window while he collected his thoughts. </p><p>“I can’t believe you got arrested over a cow.”</p><p>“It is udderly ridiculous, isn’t it?”</p><p>“You’re udderly ridiculous.”</p><p>“You butter believe it!”</p><p>“Hey Naruto?” Haku turned to face Naruto, his tone serious but tired.</p><p>“Yeah?” The other man seemed slightly worried by Haku’s shift in voice, but he gave Naruto’s hand another squeeze as a reassurance. </p><p>“I love you. You have a big heart and I know you were just trying to do the right thing, even if you didn’t go about it the right way.” </p><p>The blonde bashfully turned his head away, pink staining his cheeks. “I was just doing what anyone else would in that situation.”</p><p>“But that’s not true. So many people would ignore the situation and hope somebody else stepped in to help. You would rather be the person that helps then wait around for somebody else. I love that about you.”</p><p>The blush was now red hot. “I mean, Kiba was the one to point it out.”</p><p>“It was your idea though, wasn’t it.”</p><p>“I might have been the one to suggest it.” </p><p>“I love you.” Haku leaned over the center console and Naruto met him in the middle for a kiss.</p><p>“I love you too.” </p><p>“One last thing.” The brunette held Naruto close by the front of his jacket, only to get a cheeky grin in reply.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Don’t get arrested again.”</p><p>“I’ll try my best,” Naruto said with a laugh. The words were genuine though, and Haku gave a laughing huff of his own before gently shoving the boy away.  </p><p>“Get out of here dork. You have classes in a few hours and you smell like a farm.”</p><p>“Shit! I’m gonna go shower, love you.”</p><p>“Love you too.” And with that Naruto was taking off into the apartment building. The endearments, despite being said only moments ago left a warm bubbling feeling in Haku’s chest. He knew Naruto would never stop being kind and as a result, he would never stop being on the receiving end of Naruto’s affection and love. It was a comforting feeling and one that followed him home where he got to tell Zabuza a wild story.</p>
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